• Prepare the vegetables, peel and roughly chop the onion, wash the carrots no need to peel, top and tail them and cut into thick rounds.
• Put 1 tbsp plain flour into a large plastic bag and add 1/2 tsp salt and about 1/2 tsp of ground black pepper, mix well.
• Add the chunks of beef to the bag and shake it around in the bag until it is all covered.
• Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large frying pan or if you have a slow cooker with a suitable metal pot, heat the oil in the pot.
• Add enough of the floured meat to cover the base of the pan, leave for 2 minutes before moving it around and turning the chunks so they get browned on all sides.
• Once browned remove to a plate, add more oil and sear the next batch of beef until all the beef is browned.
• Turn down the heat to medium, add a little more oil and add the onion and carrots. Saute the vegetables moving them around until the onion is translucent.
• Add the beef back into the pan.
• Add 400 ml beef stock (I made mine with a beef stock cube)
• Then add the tomato paste, sugar and Dijon mustard.
• Stir and bring up to simmer, then either pour into the crockpot or, if using the crockpot base to sear, place it into the slow cooker base, put on the lid.
• Cook on LOW for 7 hours.

AFTER 7 HOURS

• Mix together the flour, seasoning and herbs in a bowl.
• Add the water and mix to a thick paste
• Roll into balls.
• Lift the lid of the crockpot, test the stew for seasoning and adjust accordingly, place the balls evenly around the stew and quickly replace the lid.
• Cook for a further 1 hour on HIGH.